Case Study: Entergy Nuclear reduces outage risk and avoids $1M/day costs with Dassault Systemes PLM solutions

Simulates nuclear plant maintenance with DS PLM solutions and services

Entergy Nuclear, the nuclear division of Entergy, needed to extend plant lifespans, reduce business and safety risks, shorten costly maintenance outages (about $1 million/day), and capture institutional knowledge for a retiring workforce. To meet these challenges, Entergy Nuclear turned to Dassault Systemes PLM solutions and services—leveraging CATIA and DELMIA along with Dassault Systèmes Industry Services (DSIS) and AREVA laser scanning—to better plan and validate complex, one‑off maintenance operations in tight clearances.

Dassault Systemes delivered virtual modeling and simulation: DSIS built CATIA 3D models updated with AREVA scans and ran DELMIA simulations to test removal procedures (work completed in about six weeks). The simulations identified two previously unrecognized obstructions that would have added 1–2 days to an outage—avoiding an estimated $1–2M in costs—while improving safety, reducing radiation exposure risk, enhancing training and knowledge transfer, and prompting Waterford 3 to invest in CATIA/DELMIA licenses and consider ENOVIA for future lifecycle management.

Entergy Nuclear

Don Marpe

Project Manager